我笨，是因为热的

如果你曾经在极度炎热的环境中感到自己变得迟钝、愚蠢，就好像你的大脑已经融化了一样;那你并不是一个人——很多人都会这样。

Past research in the lab has proven that the human brain ceases to function normally when exposed to high temperatures, and now, an investigation by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that this phenomenon holds true for real-world situations.

在过去，有些研究表明：人类的大脑在高温环境里会停止正常工作。如今，哈佛大学公共卫生学院的一项调查证明事实确实如此。

Their study, published in PLOS Medicine, tested changes in cognitive performance of 44 college students living in air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned dorms in Boston during July 2016 – the summer of the hottest year on record. Using cellphone-based tests of selective processing, working memory, and inhibitory control – the ability to focus on relevant stimuli in the presence of irrelevant stimuli – the authors revealed that subjects without air conditioning (AC) had significantly reduced mental capacity on the extra hot days compared with those blessed with AC units.

这项研究被发表在《公共科学图书馆·医学》杂志上，共测试了44名住在空调和非空调宿舍的大学生认知能力的变化。研究人员通过手机对研究对象进行了选择性处理、工作记忆和抑制控制(在无关刺激的存在下专注于相关刺激的能力)的测试。他们发现：与宿舍有空调的研究对象相比，宿舍没有空调的那些大学生在高温环境中的心理承受能力明显降低。

Though this work examined just a small group of people in one area of the world, lead author Jose Guillermo Cedeño-Laurent and his colleagues write that the findings bring attention to an often-overlooked side effect of climate change.

尽管这项研究只是研究了世界上某个地区的一小群人，但主要作者何塞·吉列尔莫·阿切洛·洛朗和他的同事表示，这些发现能够使人们注意到气候变化常常被忽视的副作用。

"Most of the research on the health effects of heat has been done in vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, creating the perception that the general population is not at risk from heat waves," Cedeño-Laurent said in a statement. “Knowing what the risks are across different populations is critical considering that in many cities, such as Boston, the number of heat waves is projected to increase due to climate change.”

大多数有关高温环境影响健康的研究都是在弱势群体中进行的，比如老年人，这使人们认为普通人群不会受到热浪的威胁。考虑到在波士顿等许多城市的气候变化，我们预计热浪的数量将会增加，因此了解不同人群面对热浪的风险是至关重要的。

The study data was collected on 12 consecutive days: five of normal summer temperatures (15-31°C/59-88°F range) followed by five abnormally hot (28-36°C/ 82-97°F) days, capped off by two cool down days (28°C/82°F). Daily cognitive performance was assessed via a Stroop color-word test and a visual addition/subtraction challenge that subjects completed on their phones after waking up and before they left their bedrooms. To rule out other factors that could impact brain power, the students were asked to wear biosensors to track overall activity and sleep, and monitors in each dorm recorded indoor temperature, humidity, noise levels, and carbon dioxide levels.

研究数据是在12天内收集的：其中5天是正常夏季温度(15-31°C)，另外5天是异常高温(28-36 °C)，还有两天是28°C的低温天气。每天的认知表现是通过彩色单词测试和视觉加减挑战来进行评估的。为了排除其他可能影响脑力的因素，学生们被要求佩戴生物传感器来跟踪其整体活动和睡眠，每个宿舍的监测器都能够记录室内温度、湿度、噪音水平和二氧化碳水平。